Monday Meanderings on Church and Leadership XI

Shaina and I went away for the weekend to New York. It was good to break routine. All in all the New York portion of the weekend was lousy. My buddies came to play rounds of golf on Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately, Saturday was a perpetual drizzle, mixed with moments of downpour. We played, but my hands were so wet that at one point I swung a six iron on a par three tee, and lost the club on the downswing (the ball didn't move!) Sunday was even worse, terrential downpour. But, a bad weekend away is better than a weekend stuck in the grind.

Perhaps the best leadership lesson I know of came from a guy in seminary quoting Rick Warren. This is a mantra I desire to live by.

Divert Daily...I should be having my cup filled by Jesus in intentional ways every day...not out of obligation but out of desire and neccessity.

Withdraw Weekly...A sabbath day keeps the assylum away. You can't accomplish in 7 days on your own, what God can accomplish in you in 5 or 6 days. So disconnect. Have a day that is off limits that your email piles up...that your text messages go unanswered.

Quit Quarterly...Your Church or organization should not fall apart when you leave it for a weekend. If it does, you're failing as a leader. Your marriage needs a weekend away. Your soul needs a weekend away. Even if it rains!

Abandon Annually...Vacation. No phone calls. No emails. Just complete, unapologetic disconnection. Sometimes this can be hiding out in your home. Sometimes...you have to get out of dodge. Your mind needs to shut off. Whenever I have vacation, I pick up some book to read that is fictional flub. It won't help my leadership. It won't solve systems problems. Its just something I can mindlessly fall into in order to stop thinking/dreaming/processing.

Looking at the big picture of 2011. Which of these four steps is toughest for you? For me, I am feeling the pressures of ministry and see my time being gobbled up on a daily basis. So diverting daily has been irregular lately.

With that said, I'm going to get a shave and a shower, grab a Bible and head to the coffee shop for a bit before our leadership seminar this afternoon.